This specification relates to electronic document processing and more particularly to the editing of a document at the same time by multiple collaborators.
Conventional techniques for sharing and editing the same document do not compare collaborators' changes until one of the collaborators tries to save the document. Conventional techniques also do not give any notice to the collaborators about a possible collision, i.e., that the collaborators' changes conflict, until one of the collaborators tries to save the document. When saving the document, even though the collaborators are informed of a data collision, they still do not know what the conflicting data is and risk losing their conflicting data.
This specification describes technologies for collaborative and concurrent editing of documents. A system that implements these technologies automatically compares collaborators' added or changed data. In some embodiments, the comparison is made at a predetermined frequency. When an edit collision occurs, the collaborators are informed of the collision and what the conflicting data or text is, so that the collaborator can reinsert the conflicting text that was not added to the document because of the collision. In some embodiments, the collaborators are provided options for copying the conflicting text and then pasting it back into the document. When no data collision occurs, the system automatically merges the collaborators' added or changed data and then shows the collaborators the updated merged document in real time.
The document is stored in an online server and accessible to authorized collaborators using a browser-based application.
Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages.
The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.